Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing for generating a panoramic image.
Description of the Related Art
A panoramic (omnidirectional, i.e., full angle of view) image capturing apparatus is an image capturing apparatus configured to capture a 360-degree panoramic image around the image capturing apparatus being the center with as small blind spot as possible. In recent years, it has become popular to post panoramic images captured by such a panoramic image capturing apparatus to an unspecified number of people through a social networking service on the Internet. When an image is posted to an unspecified number of people, it is desirable to take privacy measures as necessary so that the image does not include information from which an individual may be identifiable. However, due to the characteristic that a panoramic image capturing apparatus has substantially no blind spot, a panoramic image captured by the panoramic image capturing apparatus includes an image of a photographer. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-244511 discusses that in a case of using an all-direction camera configured to capture a 360-degree image excluding the top and bottom of an image capturing apparatus, the photographer holds the image capturing apparatus above the head of the photographer while capturing an image so that the image does not include an image of the photographer. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-198062 discusses an image processing apparatus configured to detect an image of a photographer from a panoramic image and to perform hiding processing such as filling, blurring, etc. on the detected image of the photographer.
However, in the case of capturing a panoramic image including an image of a vertical direction, even if a photographer holds an image capturing apparatus above the head of the photographer while capturing an image as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-244511, the image includes an image of the photographer. Further, in the case of using the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-198062, although who the photographer is can be made unidentifiable, there arises a problem that an image of the photographer becomes an obstacle especially when the photographer desires to capture an image of a landscape, etc. as a main object, since the image of the photographer remains.